Emma/Clueless • Amy Heckerling’s teenpic comedy Clueless resonates the ideas, values and cultural assumptions evident in Jane Austen’s Emma • Through the transformation of Austen’s text, several elements have been transformed and contemporised in the Heckerling’s Clueless ? Make-over/transformation ? Role of women in patriarchal society ? Struggles of social classes: the mobility and fluidity of the class structure ? Societal commentary ? Love and marriage (matchmaking, flirtation) The most important element of both Emma and Clueless is the “make-over”/transformation of Harriet Smith (Emma) and Tai (Clueless) • Both Emma and Cher desire to create a being in their own image • Harriet Smith and Tai are both of a low socio-economic status and are lacking in cultural knowledge and intelligence • The main difference between them shows an element of the transformation of Emma in to a modern day film: this is the fact that Harriet’s downfall is her lack of cultural knowledge, social status due to her lack of family ties and low intelligence.

However, in Clueless, it is Tai’s poor fashion sense which, in Cher’s view, makes her “adorably clueless” • The archetypal concept of transformation alludes to several stories in modern day society and history. These include, the “Pretty Woman”/”Cinderella” myth – which constitutes the personal transformation via the symbolic acquisition of a newly constructed self. In the ideas of the “Frankenstein” myth, Cher’s statement “I’ve created a monster! ” alludes to the failure on Cher’s part in Tai’s transformation. In Emma, the role of women in a patriarchal society is addressed in the relationship of Emma Woodhouse and her father – this is mirrored in a contemporary manner in Clueless • In Emma & Clueless, both our heroines (Emma Woodhouse and Cher Horowitz) are presided over by a commanding patriarch: in Emma – the ailing Mr Woodhouse, in Clueless the ruthless lawyer, Mel Horowitz • Both heroine’s fathers are, whilst constantly appearing to assert their authority, are easily swayed by their daughters. • The element of class struggles and the mobility and fluidity of the class structure is addressed in both Emma and Clueless In both texts, this element is most evident in the conclusion of each texts – the final chapters of Emma and the wedding scene in Clueless • Each text shows a “pairing off” of the main characters which are appropriate to each individuals intelligence, cultural knowledge and socio-economic standing • That is: the wealthy and intelligent Mr Knightley marries Emma – of the same social and financial status, and who possesses similar intelligence and cultural knowledge – – similarly in Clueless, our heroine Cher is coupled with Josh – both are intelligent, witty and of the same socio-economic status In Emma, the lower class Harriet Smith marries Mr Robert Martin – of the same mild intelligence and the same, albeit lower, socio-economic status than the other couples of the book. This coupling is mirrored in Clueless with the “pairing” of Tai (the modern day Harriet Smith) and Travis (the modern Robert Martin) • However, in Clueless, the equivalent character of Frank Churchill – Christian – has been transformed into a homosexual male character. His appearance in the film was a breakthrough at the time (an openly gay upper class male with no qualms of his sexuality).

Whilst Christian is accepted by his peers, he is absent from the final scene suggesting that homosexuality was, and remains to be, a controversial topic • This issue of Christian in Clueless as an openly gay male is played down and the focus placed on the evidence of class fluidity. That is, even though the couplings are within each characters’ social standing, the apparently lower class couple (Tai and Travis) are still accepted into the popular clique.

This is not the case in Emma, where there is a severing of ties between Harriet Smith and Emma after Harriet marries Robert Martin – thus showing the change in the ideals of class mobility. • Through the transformation process, Heckerling has ensured that her flim comments of many issues in society – much as Austen endeavoured to do in her novels • However, with the transformation process, the manners in which these comments are made have changed. In Emma, Austen uses mainly authorial intrusions and commentary to comment on her society.

In Clueless, Heckerling uses pastiche in her commentary on society • Pastiche is the deliberate reference or allusion to an object/text/symbol etc for academic or artistic value: this is shown at many points of the film: ? Dionne: rough winds do shake the darlin buds of May, but they eternal love shall never fade. Phat! Did you write that? Cher: duh, it’s like, a famous quote! D: from where? C: Cliff’s notes ? The quote is, of course, from a famous Shakespearean sonnet however Cher believes it to be from the popular study guide Cliff’s Notes This deliberate misplacement of cultural knowledge is called cultural catachresis. Through this, Heckerling comments on the lack of value for high cultural knowledge in a generation grounded in materialism and commercialism ? Similarly, this is evident in the scene where Josh and Heather are arguing and Cher demonstrates this cultural catachresis again: • Heather: it’s like Hamlet said ‘to thine own self be true’ Cher: uh Hamlet didn’t say that.

Heather: uh, I think I remember Hamlet correctly Cher: well I think I remember Mel Gibson correctly and he didn’t say that, that Polonius guy did. ? Cher is correct, however the reason it is humorous to an audience is because she knows the quote only due to its relation to a famous actor, Mel Gibson. • The issue of Love and Marriage in both texts is addressed in the ideas of matchmaking – a practice undertaken by both heroines: in both Emma and Clueless, our heroines have a ‘penchant for matchmaking’ The primary incident where matchmaking is evident in each text is the attempted coupling of Harriet Smith and Mr Elton in Emma, which is mirrored in the attempted coupling of Tai, the “adorably clueless” transfer student, and Elton – the most popular boy at school • Each attempted coupling is similar in that they are attempts by our heroin to match a pair from different social classes – in both Highbury society and the modern day Beverly Hills, this attempt is scorned upon as individuals are expected to marry, or date, only into their own social class Furthermore, in both texts, the Elton/Mr Elton character appears to show a liking for the Harriet Smith/Tai character thus furthering the concept of love and marriage in each society • However, both heroines have mistaken this apparent affection for Harriet Smith/Tai character – it is actually aimed at themselves • When each Mr Elton/Elton character discovers the attempt to match them with a woman of a lower class they are outraged: In Emma, Mr Elton proclaims “I need not so totally despair of an equal alliance as to be addressing myself to Miss Smith! ” In a similar fashion, Elton indignantly tells Cher “don’t you know who my father is?! ”

Amy Heckerling’s post-modern film, "Clueless," appropriates the timeless ideas and values presented in Jane Austen’s ‘Emma’, appealing to contemporary audiences. Through the appropriation, Heckerling juxtaposes the societies, drawing attention to the differences and at the same time, criticising her own society. Heckerling successfully transforms the universal values of marriage, social hierarchy and gender roles, modifying them to suit a modern audience. Heckerling adapts the nineteenth century contextual setting of, "Emma," to appeal to contemporary audiences. Jane Austen’s novel ‘Emma’ is set in the village of Highbury, reflecting the slow-paced lifestyle of her time. The importance of status and wealth during...

Media texts are written or presented peices of information some for entertainment and other for educational purposes. "Emma" is a novel written by Jane Austin, it was written in the year of 1816, then, was later developed into a film in the year 1996. "Clueless" is a modernised adaptation of "Emma", "Clueless" was released in the year of 1995. The two films" target audiences" are totally different. The target audience of "Clueless" is teenagers as it instantly grabs the audiences" attention in the opening sequence, but "Emma" does not really appeal to teenagers, "Emma" seem to have the impact on...

The next scene after Dionne gets into an argument with her boyfriend shows Cher walking down a path in a dominant and central position, in the background shots people are shown responding to her and making way. There is often a sense of space surrounding her, i. e. in the party scene later on in the film where it is crowded; she still stands out from the crowd. In the debate scene as Cher begins to talk the camera pans members of the class. The girls putting on Makeup, and the boys using Mobile phones shows their lifestyle and...

The makers of Clueless have tried to reinforce the self centeredness of Cher's personality through the camera shots. In the close-up shots they concentrate on her hair, make-up and all the things that she is most concerned about. Cher believes that she is a trend -setter, when she's walking into school we are led to believe everybody's following her because of the way the camera is pulling away from her, but actually they are just coming into school the same as she is, this is another important element of a youth picture genre film because Cher thinks that everything...

Who was seen stronger emotionally and physically?(men or women) Men True or False. It was very easy for peasants to climb the social classes? False What class had homes built of timber and plastic? Middle Class The upper class consisted of... Monarch, Nobility, & Gentry True or False. The lowest ranking was a peasant/serf. True What was one way that citizens could raise their social class? Marry up to a higher social class Why did Queen Elizabeth I never marry? She didn't want to share the throne with a man. Who was considered England's best monarch? Queen Elizabeth I Worked...

In 'Great Expectations' social class plays a very important role. 'Great Expectations' is all about the role social class played in Victorian times, because in that time there was a very strict social class system and usually people who were born in a particular class would have lived there whole lives in that class. The only way people from that era would have moved up the social system, was if someone from higher up the system, took a liking to them and invested in their future. This novel, which is in the style of a bildungsroman, shows Pip moving through...

Joe Gargery is Pips brother in law and is a very kind and honest person. Joe is a blacksmith with no social class or manners and very less money but he still is very nice, suffers in silence, and acts for his loved ones. Joe always stands by Pip we know this by when he comes late home after being threatened by Magwitch; Joe quickly tells him to hide behind the door as Mrs Joe is looking for him with the tickler (a stick which both Joe and Pip were hit with) also Joe and Pip were like friends as...

In this essay I will be exploring the above question and will also write about general points related to An Inspector Calls. It is a play revolving around a late night visit from a police Inspector in a large house in the industrial north in 1912. The Inspector interrupts a posh dinner party and is investigating an apparent suicide. An Inspector Calls was written in 1945 in a time when World War Two was finally finishing. Its first major performance was in London in 1946. The whole play takes place in the large dining room of a wealthy manufacturer. The...

In Chartism by Thomas Carlyle, the problem is outlined; in William Dodd's narrative, it is recounted from personal experience. Elizabeth Gaskell's North and South is a fictional account of the very real condition of England. Clearly, questions of social and economic injustice were on the front burner even as the social oppression transpired. Another very prominent feature of Victorian England was religion, more specifically Christianity. William Dodd and Bessy Higgins are individuals who have endured enormous suffering, who have lost any sort of quality of life to the factories, and yet adhere perhaps even more strongly to their faith. Thomas...

In 1962, “the deliberate destroyer of cinema,” (Sontag 150) Jean-Luc Godard, released one of his most acclaimed and poetic films entitled Vivre Sa Vie (My Life to Live). This is one of the most important films in French cinema history, and the techniques Godard used ushered in the New Wave of French film. Winning Mathieu Kassovitz Best Director at the ’95 Cannes Film Festival and going on to be an instant success across France, La Haine remains one of the most controversial French films ever made. The societal problems in France which caused civil unrest in the film are still...

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